Former President Donald J. Trump

[Your Friendly Neighbourhood Postman]

I can understand why people voted for Trump vs. Clinton. I follow one of my senators, Kamala Harris, on Twitter and I get the same feeling watching MASH re-runs on AMC, Sunday mornings. I can't watch MASH for very long anymore because it comes across as unbelievably sanctimoniously self-righteous in its liberal point-of-view. Same as Democrats these days, with a huge dash of condescension towards Republicans.

Strange as it may seem, I agree.

[Davey the Fat Boy]

I think there's no question about it. But that's the largely the internet.

Sadly the net has created a dynamic in which people on the extremes of either side of the political spectrum push each other to take more and more extreme positions and create a whole community support mechanism for invalidating anyone who points the extremism out.

Our pal Jimbo is a product of this kind of confirmation bias loop. In his case it's become so advanced that his ideology has become fully incoherent. But really, you can detect the same dynamics at play with anyone who imagines their "side" defeating their ideological opposition.

[sloopjohnc]

I think there's no question about it. But that's the largely the internet.

Sadly the net has created a dynamic in which people on the extremes of either side of the political spectrum push each other to take more and more extreme positions and create a whole community support mechanism for invalidating anyone who points the extremism out.

Our pal Jimbo is a product of this kind of confirmation bias loop. In his case it's become so advanced that his ideology has become fully incoherent. But really, you can detect the same dynamics at play with anyone who imagines their "side" defeating their ideological opposition.

Maybe it's the Net, but I also think its cable news, like Fox, MSNBC, even CNN. CNN tries so hard to take the middle that it gets both conservative and liberal apologists who see Washington DC and politics through their own looking glass.

I think they all dance together on the same tilted, shifting, ballroom floor.

It ends up as a huge cutting off one's nose to spite the peoples' faces just to prove themselves right.

[Davey the Fat Boy]

To a certain degree. But I think cable tv has been a follower rather than a leader.

Even on the right...Fox news came after Rush Limbaugh and the rise of eight wing radio. The left didn't get successfully into the game until the internet. In both cases...cable tv jumped in when the market was already there.

[Jimbo]

The left didn't get successfully into the game until the internet.

Air America had a pretty good run. I was an avid listener.

[Davey the Fat Boy]

The left didn't get successfully into the game until the internet.

Air America had a pretty good run. I was an avid listener.

You and a few close friends.

[Count Machuki]

I was, too!

[Jimbo]

Our pal Jimbo is a product of this kind of confirmation bias loop. In his case it's become so advanced that his ideology has become fully incoherent.

Better a questioning, wondering, inquisitive, idealistic, curious and incoherent seeming ideology than a neoconservative, unquestioning, stuck in the mud, William Crystal, Hillary Clinton, corporate media believing, pax-Americana, war mongering, dogmatic ideology.

[Davey the Fat Boy]

I like how you tell yourself that everyone not inbibing on your specific brand of propaganda fits that description.

Also - don't kid yourself about being open-minded and inquisitive. Maybe you were at one point. But now your "sources" have you just where they want you.

[Moleskin]

And yours haven't?

[Davey the Fat Boy]

I don't have "sources."

[Sneelock]

I can understand why people voted for Trump vs. Clinton. I follow one of my senators, Kamala Harris, on Twitter and I get the same feeling watching MASH re-runs on AMC, Sunday mornings. I can't watch MASH for very long anymore because it comes across as unbelievably sanctimoniously self-righteous in its liberal point-of-view. Same as Democrats these days, with a huge dash of condescension towards Republicans.

great post but it had me reaching for my keyboard. i guess I both agree and disagree. yes, I agree that liberals come off self righteous. Yes I agree that "MASH" was sanctimonious. BUT, the first thing that really lodged in my throat is how OKAY America was with the self righteousness of "MASH" compared to the cable news sanctimoniousness of today. Yeah, MASH laid it on WAY too thick for me by the time they went off the air. Still, the main thing about your post that grabbed me was that it left the air the most popular show of it's time. what were those sanctimonious positions? "war is bad", "women should be treated better", "people who send others to their deaths aren't looking at the big picture" etc.. America was cool with these positions no matter HOW smarmy Alan Alda came off on the Phil Donohue show.

America ain't really cool with that stuff any more. that's part one.

Part Two starts with that Alex Jones video of him freaking out about how Liberals need to be eliminated by whatever means necessary as biker looking guys stand around enjoying the smell of his napalm. I think somebody posted the thing, maybe even in this thread. I'll post this instead.
I think the self righteousness of liberals is only half the equation. I've been seeing the sticker above on cars since before W. was president. I still see them from time to time. Yeah, they aren't exactly Calvin peeing but I do think the "Gun Show" mentality is something that has been embraced by the Republicans from the top down because of the way President Trump conducted his campaign. maybe this self righteousness informs the increasing violence and hostility which informs the rhetoric of guys like Alex Jones (and for that matter President Trump - especially during the primary)

Yeah, telling people things like they shouldn't give their kids sodas comes off condescending. why? because it is condescending - it's not your kid. Still, the idea that somebody thinking they're smarter than you means it's okay to shoot at them is what a lot of people who appeal to a lot of Republicans are saying. this, I think, is a strategy. TRUMP has record low numbers. well, a good chunk of that number is armed & hates the fuck out of the media and (increasingly) the loyal opposition. Yeah, it's easy for me to see why my TRUMP supporting friends don't like Patty Lupone calling President Trump a dirty name. No, I don't think this is any justification for them wanting to kick the asses of anybody who shares it on Facebook. I think it is a deliberate strategy made to manufacture fear. it's working!

[sloopjohnc]

To a certain degree. But I think cable tv has been a follower rather than a leader.

Even on the right...Fox news came after Rush Limbaugh and the rise of eight wing radio. The left didn't get successfully into the game until the internet. In both cases...cable tv jumped in when the market was already there.

True, good points.

[Sneelock]

follow the money! Rush, Talk Radio and Evangelicals (who were well represented on Talk Radio) put wind in the sails of the GOP around the time of W.
MoveOn.org and shit like that raised a lot of dough for Howard Dean. Both changed the way they raise money and how it's okay to talk about things. Both things have had more bad than good baggage in the long run. Still, I don't really see "left vs right" as much as sloop does.

I like "Democracy Now". I have no problem with Democracy Now being characterized as "left leaning". well, how often do you hear Democracy Now without seeking it out? they did an interview with somebody a week or so back and it might be the first time they've been in my Facebook feed for months and I "follow" Democracy Now!

CNN letting Jeffrey Lord shine and polish Trumps ass while while Ana Navarro kicks it is only left & right the way WWF is good & bad. OK, MSNBC,does let it's host go on little tangents and CAN be described as self righteous & superior when they do but how often? and how much of that sort of thing is evened out by covering Trump in Saudi Arabia sort of things without any informed commentary or context?
Cable News sucks. no argument. why it sucks - my opinion is that everything is done to keep viewers hanging and optimize advertising. the BBC is hardly the best news in the world but even 5 minutes of BBC presumes that the rest of the world is important. Our cable news, it seems to me, wants to traffic in Trump's supporters and detractors because that's where they presume the money to be.

[sloopjohnc]

I can understand why people voted for Trump vs. Clinton. I follow one of my senators, Kamala Harris, on Twitter and I get the same feeling watching MASH re-runs on AMC, Sunday mornings. I can't watch MASH for very long anymore because it comes across as unbelievably sanctimoniously self-righteous in its liberal point-of-view. Same as Democrats these days, with a huge dash of condescension towards Republicans.

great post but it had me reaching for my keyboard. i guess I both agree and disagree. yes, I agree that liberals come off self righteous. Yes I agree that "MASH" was sanctimonious. BUT, the first thing that really lodged in my throat is how OKAY America was with the self righteousness of "MASH" compared to the cable news sanctimoniousness of today. Yeah, MASH laid it on WAY too thick for me by the time they went off the air. Still, the main thing about your post that grabbed me was that it left the air the most popular show of it's time. what were those sanctimonious positions? "war is bad", "women should be treated better than men", "people who send others to their deaths aren't looking at the big picture" etc.. America was cool with these positions no matter HOW smarmy Alan Alda came off on the Phil Donohue show.

America ain't really cool with that stuff any more. that's part one.

Part Two starts with that Alex Jones video of him freaking out about how Liberals need to be eliminated by whatever means necessary as biker looking guys stand around enjoying the smell of his napalm. I think somebody posted the thing, maybe even in this thread. I'll post this instead.
I think the self righteousness of liberals is only half the equation. I've been seeing the sticker above on cars since before W. was president. I still see them from time to time. Yeah, they aren't exactly Calvin peeing but I do think the "Gun Show" mentality is something that has been embraced by the Republicans from the top down because of the way President Trump conducted his campaign. maybe this self righteousness informs the increasing violence and hostility which informs the rhetoric of guys like Alex Jones (and for that matter President Trump - especially during the primary)

Yeah, telling people things like they shouldn't give their kids sodas comes off condescending. why? because it is condescending - it's not your kid. Still, the idea that somebody thinking they're smarter than you means it's okay to shoot at them is what a lot of people who appeal to a lot of Republicans are saying. this, I think, is a strategy. TRUMP has record low numbers. well, a good chunk of that number is armed & hates the fuck out of the media and (increasingly) the loyal opposition. Yeah, it's easy for me to see why my TRUMP supporting friends don't like Patty Lupone calling President Trump a dirty name. No, I don't think this is any justification for them wanting to kick the asses of anybody who shares it on Facebook. I think it is a deliberate strategy made to manufacture fear. it's working!

I can't argue with anything you wrote, which is depressing.

Democrats are unveiling their "Better Deal" plan to help unify the party for 2018 elections. It is three-pronged: Jobs, less expenses, and education.

I've been thinking about how Democrats have lost their position as the working people's party. I think the Tea Party had something to do with that, but I think they have to remind people that they've traditionally been the party that has stood up for working folks. The problem with that is Republicans have somehow managed to tie in worker's rights with government glut.

[Sneelock]

I think that's why the right idolize Reagan so much. Aided by talk radio - Reagan convinced America that the very programs which helped working people were CASINOS giving giant payouts to people who didn't deserve it.

For that, they'll name things after him the rest of our lives.

[Jimbo]

Democracy Now would be so much more effective if the announcers didn't drone as they do. They're way too dour. It looks like how public TV looked in 1970. To a Trump supporter DN is a template of liberalism, boring old vegetarian Muslim lovin' hippies ragging on the troops, ragging on my President. It needs some of the old Air America oomph. You put a Harry Shearer, a Bill Maher or a Colbert in Amy Goodwin's chair and watch the viewership climb.

[Sneelock]

but can Harry Shearer, Bill Maher or Colbert talk without breathing?.
Amy Goodman can because if she didn't relentlessly fund-raise, they wouldn't have any money and the broadcast would have disappeared years ago. they consistently present voices of diversity. they may be hippy-dippy but they do "hard news" far more often than they are given credit for. I think DN's coverage of Africa generally & Congo specifically has been outstanding!

[clive gash]

In Donald J Trumps America everyone in this video would've sprayed each other with hot lead in a tremendous display of self-defence. USA! USA!

[Diamond Dog]

Democracy Now would be so much more effective if the announcers didn't drone as they do. They're way too dour. It looks like how public TV looked in 1970. To a Trump supporter DN is a template of liberalism, boring old vegetarian Muslim lovin' hippies ragging on the troops, ragging on my President. It needs some of the old Air America oomph. You put a Harry Shearer, a Bill Maher or a Colbert in Amy Goodwin's chair and watch the viewership climb.

Yeah what America needs now is Trump making the Mexicans pay for the wall, and Bill Maher to report on it and slip the N word in , as a 'joke'.
That's perfect.